Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Saint-Gingolph is a municipality
in the district of Monthey in the canton
of Valais
in Switzerland
.
The municipality is the Swiss portion of the town of Saint-Gingolph
, which straddles the Swiss-French border provided by the Morge river. The French (western) side of the town is known as Saint-Gingolph, Haute-Savoie
.
Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 55.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 2.1% is pastures and 8.8% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 13.7% is unproductive vegetation and 9.0% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Monthey district, along the La Morge stream. The municipality straddles the French border. Before 1569, Saint-Gingolph, the hamlet
of Le Freney and the Haute-Savoie village of Saint-Gingolph formed a single municipality.
of the municipal coat of arms
is Per bend serrated Argent and Gules overall an Otter rampant Sable langued Gules and armed of the first in chief sinister a Mullet of Five of the second.
Most of the population speaks French
(672 or 86.9%) as their first language, German
is the second most common (31 or 4.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
is the third (19 or 2.5%). There are 5 people who speak Italian
.
, the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The population was made up of 338 Swiss men (39.7% of the population) and 85 (10.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 360 Swiss women (42.3%) and 69 (8.1%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 243 or about 31.4% were born in Saint-Gingolph and lived there in 2000. There were 119 or 15.4% who were born in the same canton, while 178 or 23.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 130 or 16.8% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 22.5% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 56.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.3%.
, there were 321 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 339 married individuals, 54 widows or widowers and 59 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 311 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. There were 122 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. , a total of 297 apartments (52.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 194 apartments (34.3%) were seasonally occupied and 75 apartments (13.3%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.99%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
the most popular party was the CVP
which received 33.27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
(22.46%), the SVP
(21.72%) and the SP
(15.99%). In the federal election, a total of 340 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
was 55.7%.
the total number of full-time equivalent
jobs was 124. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 1, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 24 of which 4 or (16.7%) were in manufacturing and 20 (83.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 99. In the tertiary sector; 14 or 14.1% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 or 5.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 28 or 28.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 3.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 9 or 9.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 4 or 4.0% were in education and 3 or 3.0% were in health care.
, there were 108 workers who commuted into the municipality and 201 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 32.4% of the workforce coming into Saint-Gingolph are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.5% used a private car.
. Of the rest of the population, there were 4 members of an Orthodox church
(or about 0.52% of the population), and there were 9 individuals (or about 1.16% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 6 (or about 0.78% of the population) who were Islam
ic. There were 8 individuals who were Buddhist
. 69 (or about 8.93% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
or atheist
, and 120 individuals (or about 15.52% of the population) did not answer the question.
). Of the 96 who completed tertiary schooling, 49.0% were Swiss men, 22.9% were Swiss women, 13.5% were non-Swiss men and 14.6% were non-Swiss women.
, there was one student in Saint-Gingolph who came from another municipality, while 54 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Saint-Gingolph is home to the Bibliothèque communale library. The library has 5,540 books or other media, and loaned out 1,800 items in the same year. It was open a total of 104 days with average of 8 hours per week during that year.
Municipalities of Switzerland
Communes , also known as municipalities, are the smallest government division in Switzerland, numbering 2,596 . While many have a population of a few hundred citizens, the largest cities such as Zürich or Geneva also have the legal status of municipalities...
in the district of Monthey in the canton
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
The municipality is the Swiss portion of the town of Saint-Gingolph
Saint-Gingolph
Saint-Gingolph is a small town situated on the south bank of Lake Geneva . It sits at the Franco-Swiss frontier, and is administratively divided into Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland and Saint-Gingolph, Haute-Savoie . Its name is derived from the eighth century saint Gangulphus, who is said to have...
, which straddles the Swiss-French border provided by the Morge river. The French (western) side of the town is known as Saint-Gingolph, Haute-Savoie
Saint-Gingolph, Haute-Savoie
Saint-Gingolph is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-See also:* Saint-Gingolph* Saint-Gingolph, Switzerland*Communes of the Haute-Savoie department-References:*...
.
Geography
Saint-Gingolph has an area, , of 14.4 square kilometre. Of this area, 1.61 square kilometre or 11.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 8.77 square kilometre or 61.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 0.66 square kilometre or 4.6% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.06 km² (14.8 acre) or 0.4% is either rivers or lakes and 3.27 square kilometre or 22.7% is unproductive land.Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 1.6%. Out of the forested land, 55.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 3.3% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 0.0% is used for growing crops and 2.1% is pastures and 8.8% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is in lakes. Of the unproductive areas, 13.7% is unproductive vegetation and 9.0% is too rocky for vegetation.
The municipality is located in the Monthey district, along the La Morge stream. The municipality straddles the French border. Before 1569, Saint-Gingolph, the hamlet
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Le Freney and the Haute-Savoie village of Saint-Gingolph formed a single municipality.
Coat of arms
The blazonBlazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
of the municipal coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is Per bend serrated Argent and Gules overall an Otter rampant Sable langued Gules and armed of the first in chief sinister a Mullet of Five of the second.
Demographics
Saint-Gingolph has a population of . , 17.3% of the population are resident foreign nationals. Over the last 10 years (2000–2010 ) the population has changed at a rate of 23.3%. It has changed at a rate of 25.6% due to migration and at a rate of 0.6% due to births and deaths.Most of the population speaks French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
(672 or 86.9%) as their first language, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
is the second most common (31 or 4.0%) and Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
is the third (19 or 2.5%). There are 5 people who speak Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
.
, the population was 49.6% male and 50.4% female. The population was made up of 338 Swiss men (39.7% of the population) and 85 (10.0%) non-Swiss men. There were 360 Swiss women (42.3%) and 69 (8.1%) non-Swiss women. Of the population in the municipality, 243 or about 31.4% were born in Saint-Gingolph and lived there in 2000. There were 119 or 15.4% who were born in the same canton, while 178 or 23.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 130 or 16.8% were born outside of Switzerland.
, children and teenagers (0-19 years old) make up 22.5% of the population, while adults (20-64 years old) make up 56.1% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 21.3%.
, there were 321 people who were single and never married in the municipality. There were 339 married individuals, 54 widows or widowers and 59 individuals who are divorced.
, there were 311 private households in the municipality, and an average of 2.1 persons per household. There were 122 households that consist of only one person and 22 households with five or more people. , a total of 297 apartments (52.5% of the total) were permanently occupied, while 194 apartments (34.3%) were seasonally occupied and 75 apartments (13.3%) were empty. The vacancy rate for the municipality, , was 0.99%.
The historical population is given in the following chart:
Sights
The entire Saint-Gingolph area is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage SitesInventory of Swiss Heritage Sites
The Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites is part of a 1981 Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Council implementing the Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage.-Sites of national importance:-Types:...
Politics
In the 2007 federal electionSwiss federal election, 2007
Elections to the Swiss Federal Assembly, the federal parliament of Switzerland, were held on Sunday, 21 October 2007. In a few cantons, a second round of the elections to the Council of States was held on 11 November, 18 November, and 25 November 2007...
the most popular party was the CVP
Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland
The Christian Democratic People's Party of Switzerland is a Christian democratic political party in Switzerland. It is the fourth-largest party in the National Council, with 31 seats, and the largest in the Council of States, with 15 seats. It has one seat, that of Doris Leuthard, on the Swiss...
which received 33.27% of the vote. The next three most popular parties were the FDP
FDP.The Liberals
FDP.The Liberals is a classical liberal political party in Switzerland. It is the joint-largest party in the Federal Council, third-largest party in the National Council, and second-largest in the Council of States....
(22.46%), the SVP
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
(21.72%) and the SP
Social Democratic Party of Switzerland
The Social Democratic Party of Switzerland is the largest centre-left political party in Switzerland....
(15.99%). In the federal election, a total of 340 votes were cast, and the voter turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was 55.7%.
Economy
, Saint-Gingolph had an unemployment rate of 5.3%. , there were 2 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 2 businesses involved in this sector. 27 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 11 businesses in this sector. 109 people were employed in the tertiary sector, with 32 businesses in this sector. There were 298 residents of the municipality who were employed in some capacity, of which females made up 41.6% of the workforce.the total number of full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
jobs was 124. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 1, all of which were in agriculture. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 24 of which 4 or (16.7%) were in manufacturing and 20 (83.3%) were in construction. The number of jobs in the tertiary sector was 99. In the tertiary sector; 14 or 14.1% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 5 or 5.1% were in the movement and storage of goods, 28 or 28.3% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3 or 3.0% were the insurance or financial industry, 9 or 9.1% were technical professionals or scientists, 4 or 4.0% were in education and 3 or 3.0% were in health care.
, there were 108 workers who commuted into the municipality and 201 workers who commuted away. The municipality is a net exporter of workers, with about 1.9 workers leaving the municipality for every one entering. About 32.4% of the workforce coming into Saint-Gingolph are coming from outside Switzerland. Of the working population, 8.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 70.5% used a private car.
Religion
From the , 476 or 61.6% were Roman Catholic, while 85 or 11.0% belonged to the Swiss Reformed ChurchSwiss Reformed Church
The Reformed branch of Protestantism in Switzerland was started in Zürich by Huldrych Zwingli and spread within a few years to Basel , Bern , St...
. Of the rest of the population, there were 4 members of an Orthodox church
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
(or about 0.52% of the population), and there were 9 individuals (or about 1.16% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 6 (or about 0.78% of the population) who were Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic. There were 8 individuals who were Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. 69 (or about 8.93% of the population) belonged to no church, are agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
or atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, and 120 individuals (or about 15.52% of the population) did not answer the question.
Education
In Saint-Gingolph about 251 or (32.5%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education, and 96 or (12.4%) have completed additional higher education (either university or a FachhochschuleFachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
). Of the 96 who completed tertiary schooling, 49.0% were Swiss men, 22.9% were Swiss women, 13.5% were non-Swiss men and 14.6% were non-Swiss women.
, there was one student in Saint-Gingolph who came from another municipality, while 54 residents attended schools outside the municipality.
Saint-Gingolph is home to the Bibliothèque communale library. The library has 5,540 books or other media, and loaned out 1,800 items in the same year. It was open a total of 104 days with average of 8 hours per week during that year.